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Ever heard of Rachael Finch? No, me neither - even though the model was a runner up Miss Universe and did a stint on the Australian Dancing with the Stars. But now she is better known was the mom who outsources care of her two-year-old daughter every. single. weekend.
You could hear the sound of jaws crashing after Finch admitted that as a matter of course she and her hubby spend their weekends child-free to "focus on their relationship."
Not occasionally. Not for date night. But every single weekend of the year.
“Every weekend (Violet) goes to Mish’s mum’s house, and we get our weekend to ourselves," said Finch. "I think that’s incredibly healthy for the relationship. And on Sunday, when we pick her up, we have 100 per cent energy back.” And during the week her mother cares for her daughter when her husband works.
Many parents were left head-scratching at this one, myself included.
Are we jealous of Finch? Hell yeah, but only to a point. Who wouldn't want to luxuriate on the weekends? I remember the pre-kid weekends with absolute clarity: Hubby and I pouring over the papers with coffee and fresh baked croissants in front of us... The whole day wide open to do whatever the heck we wanted with it. The freedom! The tranquility!
But then we started a family and consciously traded those things for the pitter-patter downstairs, the cute little voice and annoyingly giddy cartoon sounds. We cashed in those freedoms for a good reason. We wanted him and chose him from the very moment we became parents. We turned the page and started a new chapter. That's how it goes.
We didn't set out to become parents so we could spend every weekend without him. We cherish weekends, since the weeks are caught up with work and school. We value regular date nights as a chance to reconnect with each other, but not at the expense of family time.
Of course it is healthy to have regular breaks from our children, but it's equally healthy to have plenty of time as a family connecting and building happy memories. That's precisely why two becomes three - and not simply a three that is constantly seeking to become two again.
Is it important to foster deep loving bonds with grandparents? Another resounding hell yeah. My son spends a week's vacation with his grandparents every summer, and he's blessed to have them as key players in his life. As are we. But there are limits and limitations. They are not his parents. We are. And there's also a thing called balance.
Some parents don't get a choice to see their kids every weekend due to custody arrangements. That's an entirely different beast. So fair play to Finch, who can do motherhood whatever freaking way she likes. Many of us simply don't have half the supports she has at her fingertips.
But I daresay that while most of us fantasize about the arrangement Finch has got going on, the reality is that most of us would actually hate it. The reality is, most of us would miss our kids desperately and long for the pitter-patter and the cute little voice. Maybe not right away - maybe not even for the first few weekends - but eventually we would. Maybe.
Image Source: WikiCommons
It's 2016 and the universe has been sending a not-so-subtle message to Disney: pull your creative heads out of the Dark Ages and give audiences what they've been waiting for - a lesbian princess.
For some reason, Elsa has been crowned most deserving of a partner, with the hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend gaining momentum. Could be that people feel sorry for all the time Elsa spent alone in her ice castle. Or the fact that she was oddly left without a romantic lead, something hitherto unheard of in Disney...
Given that Frozen was one giant metaphor for the closet, to #GiveElsaAGirlfriend is just logical. More LGBT representation is a great idea.
— Kenneth Sergienko (@KenSergienko) May 1, 2016
With the Frozen sequel in the works - and director Chris Buck giving nothing away - speculation about the Ice Queen's sexuality is rife.
Obviously the Twittersphere has nothing better to concern itself. But just imagine for a nanosecond the ramifications of a Disney princess that digs chicks? HUGE.
As a child in a fairly secular house, what Disney said was gospel, more or less. Disney taught kids of my generation not just about the fairy tale but about good versus evil. It imparted a certain morality through its fables. Rightly or wrongly, in its movies and books Disney held a ridiculous amount of power and responsibility.
I doubt that's the case anymore. Kids have the internet, among other things. They are more clued up and socially aware than their parents and their parents' parents.
Still, isn't it time for Disney to get with the program and show boys and girls that there is more to romance than the staid prince/princess paradigm? That there is more than one way to love.
And if it did heed the call and create a girlfriend for Elsa, would the world suddenly implode - or would we all recover ourselves as parents and humbly thank Disney for normalizing what's been normal for forever?
Surely some segments of society would blow a gasket because, to some extent, Disney is regarded as the upholder of traditional (conservative) family values.
But one thing is absolutely guaranteed: seeing themselves represented via Disney characters could make growing up a whole whack load easier for the next generation of LGBQT kids.
#GiveElsaAGirlfriend positive queer role models are needed from a young age; early exposure leads to better understanding/acceptance.
— trk spoilers • shirl (@thedreamgrrl) May 1, 2016
Health Canada has recalled the following Joe Fresh® Boys Swimsuits sold from November 2013:
2014 Styles | 2015 Styles | 2016 Styles |
---|---|---|
BBS4SM4806 | BBS5SM4804 | BBS6SM4801 |
BBS4SM4807 | BBS5SM4806 | BBS6SM4805 |
BBS4SM4808 | BBS5SM4809 | BBS6SM4808 |
BBS4SM4816 | BBT5SM4801 | BBS6SM4809 |
BBT4SM4801 | BBU5SM4811 | BBT6SM4800 |
BBT4SM4802 | BBU5SM4813 | BBU6SM4803 |
BBU4SM4813 | KBS5SM6006 | BBU6SM4810 |
BBU4SM4817 | KBS5SM6011 | KBS5SM6005 |
KBS4SM6006 | KBT5SM6001 | KBS6SM6004 |
KBS4SM6008 | KBU5SM6013 | KBS6SM6008 |
KBS4SM6009 | KBU5SM6014 | KBS6SM6009 |
KBT4SM6000 | TBS5SM3804 | KBS6SM6010 |
KBT4SM6001 | TBS5SM3807 | KBT6SM6001 |
KBU4SM6010 | TBS5SM3809 | KBU6SM6011 |
KBU4SM6011 | TBT5SM3801 | KBU6SM6013 |
TBS4SM3802 | TBU5SM3816 | TBS6SM3803 |
TBS4SM3805 | TBU5SM3817 | TBS6SM3805 |
TBS4SM3807 | TBS6SM3807 | |
TBT4SM3801 | TBT6SM3801 | |
TBU4SM3851 | TBU6SM3809 | |
TBU4SM3852 | TBU6SM3811 | |
TBU6SM3815 | ||
TBU6SM3816 | ||
TBU6SM3817 | ||
TBU6SM3818 |
The mesh lining can pinch the skin, posing an injury hazard.
While Health Canada has not received any reports of incidents relating to the swimsuits, Loblaw Companies Limited was informed of five incidents, three of which resulted in minor injuries.
Customers are advised to stop using the recalled Joe Fresh® swimsuits and return them to any Loblaw store where Joe Fresh® apparel is sold for a full refund (receipt not required).
For further information, customers may contact Loblaw at 1-888-495-5111, from Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST or via email.
From November 2013 to April 2016, approximately 385,000 of the swimsuits were sold at Loblaw Companies Limited stores across Canada.